Draft Scorecard
2025/08/18 - Version 0.1.1
By Owocki
Prepared for Luuk Weber & Erik Brinde re: âEthereum For The World â Sensemaking Reportâ
(vibe-researched-and-written by an LLM using this prompt, iterated on, + edited for accuracy quality and legibility by owocki himself.)
Proposal Comprehension
Ethereum For The World (ETH FTW)
Authors: Luuk Weber (Kolektivo Labs, CeloPG) & Erik Brinde (Avantgarde Finance, UNDP advisor)
TLDR
ETH FTW aims to make Ethereum the backbone of real-world sustainable development. The proposal leverages UNDPâs pipeline of 200+ blockchain-relevant challenges, focusing on MVP-stage projects that can deliver measurable SDG impact. It blends quadratic funding and impact-based mechanisms, with co-funding already in progress from CeloPG, EF, and others. Target raise is $250Kâ$500K to support 10â18 projects in GG24, with an explicit roadmap to scale to $100M+ by 2030.
Proposers
- Luuk Weber â serial web3 entrepreneur, founder Kolektivo Labs, leads Celo Public Goods. 8+ years experience at Web3 x sustainable development. Deep institutional ties (UNICEF, UNDP).
- Erik Brinde â Head of Governance & BD at Avantgarde Finance, MSc in Global Governance, UNDP advisor. Combines DeFi-native and institutional experience.
Domain Experts
Leads are credible. Additional 3â5 experts are proposed for review and fundraising. Past collaborators include UNDP AltFinLab and UNICEF Innovation.
Problem
Ethereum is underutilized in solving real-world challenges (digital identity, humanitarian aid, climate, etc.) despite being well-suited infrastructure. Builders lack access to resources, institutions lack bridges to Ethereum. Urgency stems from UN budget cuts (~30%), regulatory clarity (GENIUS Act), and institutional demand (UNDP Blockchain Accelerator). This is both a missed opportunity and a strategic imperative for Ethereum.
Solution
ETH FTW proposes a funding domain to bridge Ethereum and SDG-aligned builders. Mechanisms:
- Quadratic funding with Prosperity Pass integration.
- Impact-based milestone funding over 3â5 months.
- Tools: Karma for evaluation & payments, Prosperity Pass for sybil resistance and donor analytics.
Pilot will support 10â18 MVP projects with $5Kâ$30K each.
Risks
- Fundraising risk: clear roadmap to $100M+, but pathway from $500K pilot â $10M multi-year program is speculative. In comments, I flagged existential questions: who are the next capital allocator archetypes, and what is the killer draw for major funders?
- Execution risk: bridging Ethereum builders with institutions is nontrivial. Institutions move slowly, Ethereum builders move fast; program needs strong ops.
- Scope creep: sustainable development is broad, risk of diluting impact if projects are too scattered.
Outside Funding
Yes. CeloPG already proposed 250K CELO + 100K cUSD allocation; EF support for content and DevConnect event; proposers confident in raising $125K outside Gitcoin.
Why Gitcoin?
Gitcoin is positioned as the premier coordination layer for funding public goods. ETH FTW leverages Gitcoinâs legitimacy, matching pool, and grantee base. Gitcoin uniquely provides QF infra, community distribution, and brand legitimacy to attract co-funders.
Owockis scorecard
| # | Criterion | Score (0â2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Problem Focus | 2 | Clear articulation of Ethereumâs underutilization in SDGs. Urgency grounded in UN cuts, regulatory clarity, and institutional demand. Not solutionist. |
| 2 | Credible, High-leverage, Evidence-Based | 2 | Anchored in UNDPâs 200+ vetted challenges and prior institutional collaborations. High leverage if executed. |
| 3 | Domain Expertise | 2 | Leads have deep credibility in ReFi and institutional contexts. Network includes UNICEF, UNDP. |
| 4 | Co-Funding | 2 | Already secured commitments (Celo, EF, others). Likely to raise $125K+ outside Gitcoin. |
| 5 | Fit-for-Purpose Allocation Method | 2 | Thoughtful use of QF + impact funding, Karma + Prosperity Pass. Fits epistemology of public goods. |
| 6 | Execution Readiness | 1 | Strong design, but fundraising scalability and ops execution are open questions. |
| 7 | Other (vibe check) | 1 | Spiritually aligned. Vision is ambitious. Needs sharper articulation of capital allocator archetypes and killer value prop. |
Total Score: 12 / 14
Confidence in score: 80%
Feedback
Major
- Sharpen the fundraising roadmap: who exactly are the first $10M co-funders? Whatâs the killer draw that compels them?
- Guard against dilution: too broad a definition of âsustainable developmentâ risks scattered impact. Focus on a few thematic clusters (e.g. digital ID, climate, humanitarian aid).
Minor
- Clarify how QF and impact-based funding interplay (sequence, weighting, evaluation criteria).
- Better articulate Ethereumâs unique edge vs other chains in this space (e.g. Celo, Polygon already court SDG use cases).
- Add concrete case studies from the 200+ pipeline to ground the narrative.
Steel man case for/against
For
ETH FTW could position Ethereum as the de facto infrastructure for sustainable development. Institutions are actively seeking blockchain solutions; Ethereum risks ceding ground to competitors if it doesnât engage now. Gitcoin is uniquely positioned to catalyze this, and the proposers have rare credibility and networks to make it real.
Against
Fundraising pathway is speculative. Without clear next-steps beyond the pilot, this risks being another well-intentioned but underfunded experiment. Coordination between fast-moving Ethereum builders and slow-moving institutions may stall progress. Ethereumâs core community may view SDG focus as scope drift.
Rose / Bud / Thorn
- Rose: Strong proposers, clear problem framing, real institutional pipelines, co-funding secured.
- Thorn: Fundraising and scaling plan lacks concrete capital allocator targets. Big gap between pilot ($500K) and $100M vision.
- Bud: If ETH FTW can prove pilot impact and demonstrate superior capital efficiency vs traditional aid, it could unlock $10M+ annually and position Ethereum as a global development OS.
Misc Open Questions
- Unsure how firm the EFâs support is (proposal mentions but doesnât cite commitments).
- Open question: How will ETH FTW projects handle regulatory + compliance in development contexts?
- Future diligence: interview UNDP AltFinLab contacts, validate the 200+ pipeline, and test appetite from impact investors (GIIN, Octant, Worldcoin Foundation).